Road Angel

Kelvin · Post by **Kelvin** » Fri 19 Dec, 2003 00:03

Has anyone got an opinion or experience of the best Radar, GPS, Laser detector on the market. I do a lot of miles and have been looking at the Road Angel. What do you think.

DavidM · Post by **DavidM** » Fri 19 Dec, 2003 00:12

Would be my choice of the various ones available - I was contemplating such a purchase and did a fair bit of research on them all RA came out at the head of my list

DavidM

Giles · Post by **Giles** » Fri 19 Dec, 2003 08:43

I have RA - cannot fault it, has never let me down. It may not have so much readout info as some of it's competitors but if you just want something to warn you of cameras then it's fine and well worth the spend.

Kelvin · Post by **Kelvin** » Sat 31 Jan, 2004 09:34

Took the plunge and bought the Road Angel with the new radar detector. It seems to work very well, makes the drive on the A1 less stressfull as I can now just drive and let the RA warn me of the impending cameras rather than constantly peer through the windscreen trying to spot them. Although I am still wary as I went to to Margate and the RA did not pick up 2 cameras in that area

you can identify the location of cameras by pressing a few buttons and RA will then check the location out and add it to their database, but I'm not that familiar with the RA yet and I think it means actually stopping at the location so as to pinpoint it precisely. Not a good thing to do at an accident blackspot me thinks

Ci · Post by Ci » Mon 07 Jun, 2004 18:14

Piece in the DT about Radar Scout. How good is this compared to the Road Angel you all seem to have? The paper has on offer RadarScout for £100. How do you play with this and drive safely at the same time

? And how do you top it up with info on new Gatsos? Serious advice plse.

Phooto · Post by **Phooto** » Mon 07 Jun, 2004 19:21

How about this? - GPS camera detector for £69! http://www.gpsinforad.com/english/index.htm

Have not seen one working, but seems like it would do the job - who needs fancy displays anyway?

321bhp · Post by **321bhp** » Mon 07 Jun, 2004 19:38

looks quite good,not fancy but might do the job,but what is this
Patch type active external antenna for vehicles fitted with athermic windshields
athermic???

Phooto · Post by **Phooto** » Mon 07 Jun, 2004 20:40

Cars like some Vauxhalls which have the silvered type windscreens obscure the GPS signals, so you use a remote antenna in a side or rear window which does not have this coating.

Runroadster · Post by **Runroadster** » Tue 08 Jun, 2004 21:38

We were following Joe back from the Bond cruise he has the latest road angel. Evertime there was a speed camera he signaled to us and we slowed down and had plenty of time before passing the camera. Hence I ordered mine that evening.

Runroadster · Post by **Runroadster** » Mon 14 Jun, 2004 20:41

We've been out testing the r/a over the last couple of days found it was really good. You can adjust the warning distance up to 1000 metres which gives you more than enough time to slow down. It picked up gatsos when they were facing the other side of the road so found we slowed sometimes when we didn't have to, but hey! better than not slowing down when you need to. Warning tones loud enough also the display flashes red as you approach and stays red as you pass, once you've passed goes back to blue. Haven't tested it on truvellos yet.

Phil · Post by **Phil** » Mon 14 Jun, 2004 20:56

I've just replaced my Bel 990 with a Snooper. GPS rather than activated by live tranmission.
Some of the points mentioned can be programmed out by the Snooper ie cameras on the opposite side of the road etc.
Still getting to grips with it - but its very easy to switch between cars which is why I went for this one.

garyw · Post by **garyw** » Mon 14 Jun, 2004 22:47

Have you seen the new look Road Angel, looks quite hi-tec, all built in laser at about £399.00. Now with USB uploader

John B · Post by **John B** » Tue 15 Jun, 2004 05:54

Whats the aerial like for these things? Can they be mounted unseen? I don't fancy sticky pads on my dash either. I know this sounds fussy but I would like a system that is mostly out of sight. Which is the best?

Alfie · Post by **Alfie** » Tue 15 Jun, 2004 08:05

I saw Road Angel in Maplin's Tottenham Court Road yesterday (14.6.04) for £349.99.

Alfie.

JoeB · Post by **JoeB** » Tue 15 Jun, 2004 08:32

I have the New Road Angel and its excellent. You update it via USB port on the computer. Since I have had it it has missed 1 camera that I am aware of, but I stored it in the machine and it was up on the next update (I checked). To store a camera you just have to press 1 button and accept the prompt. When the RA is updated it downloads the information to the database and they then check its valid before adding it to the system. The unit also detects the laser guns from speed traps that are ont on the data base ie police spped traps of the day. The only things it doesnt pick up are the radar units (unless they are on the database) , which is good since there are no false alarms going off all the time from every petrol station, garage, shop with cameras outside. There are very very few radar guns theses days since its old tech and 99% are laser now.

The New RA is all in one, the old one had a seperate laser detector head, so this is much neater. I have hardwired it into the car and all you can see is the unit itself. The GPS head is very small and mounted just behind the unit.

tetchmeister · Post by **tetchmeister** » Wed 16 Jun, 2004 11:51

Joe,

Where did you get your Road Angel?

Runroadster · Post by **Runroadster** » Wed 16 Jun, 2004 12:35

This is where I got mine.
http://www.blackspot.co.uk

mroadster · Post by **mroadster** » Wed 16 Jun, 2004 18:49

It's still too large and ugly, and from what I have read (please correct me if I'm wrong) does not display your current speed in relation to the limit (which is v.v.useful).

A missed opportunity in my opinion - still not a contender for the OB2 (which can also be used in cars with those reflective windscreens as it has a separate antenna).

Nice back-lighting though...

Andy

Robin · Post by **Robin** » Wed 16 Jun, 2004 21:48

I really must get one. Just realised I passed a 'safety van' & may have been speeding. I guess I won't know till something pops thru the letterbox.
Naturally the sneaky sods had it placed where it's perfectly safe to do 70 as it's dual carriageway though the limit is just 50

I saw 5th gear on which they recommended the 'Origin B 2' & the 'Road Angel'. They mentioned two devices NOT detected are Truevelo cameras which are infra red rather than radar & also the SPECs devices that measure average speed over a distance. Also they only work on laser if it's scatter from another victim becuase laser is usually used in momentary bursts & clocks your speed in a few milli seconds so you don't have time to slow. Thank heavens for GPS.

Andy are you saying you prefer the 'Origin B2' to 'Road Angel' ?
Does the Origin B2 display your current speed in relation to the limit ?

Kelvin · Post by **Kelvin** » Wed 16 Jun, 2004 22:00

Since buying the RA in January I have covered around 18,000 miles all over the East Midlands, East Anglia, Kent & Sussex. It has detected Gatso, Truvelo and average speed (Specs I think) cameras without any problems, although since my earlier post about the ones it missed in Margate, I'm wondering whether they were pointing on the opposite carriageway. I've found that if the cameras are able to be swivelled to detect both sides of the road then the RA warns of them irrespective of which way they are facing. If the cameras are fixed, then if you're travelling in the opposite direction the RA stays silent.
I was on the A14 yesterday between the A1 and the M11 and the RA picked up one of the new 'Camera vans' on a bridge above the road. This is the first time that the laser detector has has picked anything up, I was beginning to wonder if it worked or was just a lump of plastic stuck to the windscreen. Anyway, it immediately went into alert (as I assume the first laser was picked up) I braked and a couple of seconds later the RA went into full alert again (the 2nd beam to check the speed from the 1st). I hope my foot went down hard enough, or it's just cost me £60

.

JUNGLE · Post by **JUNGLE** » Thu 17 Jun, 2004 05:39

I prefer the Orgin B2 to the older RA as its a neat descrete fit in the car which can be easily removed and placed in your shirt pocket when you park , its similar size to a pager. The new RA looks a little smaller, but it still sits on the windscreen which I think can look messy.

With regards to what devices it picks up Robin, the Orgin B2 picks up everything EXCEPT Mini Gatso..Which work off radar rather than Laser.

Radar devices were seen to be a bit of a nuisance as if you have a reader fitted it can tend to false alert if you go past anything from traffic lights to an automatic doors outside a supermarket as they all now use Radar.

I spent quite a bit of time searching through all of the devices ( Jan Feb 2004 ) and in the end wittled it down to the Snooper S4 ( about the size of a packet of cards ) and the Orgin B2.

I was advised by several people that although the S4 was a great device its database was still a bit patchy where as the RA and the Orgin B2's is top notch. Also the GPS receiver is built in so the windscreen issue comes into play.

The main benefit with the Orgin B2 over the others is

1) It is a decrete mount which can be placed anywhere in the car.
2) More importantly the actualy GPS receiver is a seperate unit which can be placed once again anywhere in the car. This is important as many new luxury or high performance cars have lamintated front windscreens, which many GPS devices will not work through...Top of the range BMW, MErcedes, Renault, Pugs , just to name a few all have these windwcreens.

Its swings and roundabouts...You will find that there is not one device on the market which " Standalone " will detect every type of camera / speed trap. Snoopers have an addition for the radar, in order to pick these up.
But as said this can be hit and miss.

Laser guns detectors from plod on the street at 30mph are a bit of a gimick as well, all detectors pretty much can pick these up, but once again by the time plod have zapped you and you have been warned they already have you, its only if the beam is bounced off the car infront that you have any warning

I believe Origin are working on a Radar addition at the moment which is due out soon, but whether its worth investing in this or not we will have to see.

take a look at www.radardetectors.co.uk

JUNGLE

Robin · Post by **Robin** » Thu 17 Jun, 2004 08:09

Jungle many thanks for that info. Will take a look at that site.
"the Orgin B2 picks up everything EXCEPT Mini Gatso.."
I'm puzzled about Truvelo as Tiff Needel on 5th Gear said they were infra red & not detectable.

JUNGLE · Post by **JUNGLE** » Thu 17 Jun, 2004 11:10

Yes thats correct, the Truvelo is infra red, but as they are fixed sites they are added to databases that products like RA and Orgin etc all use.

This is how most of the devices actually work, its all through databases, most now also have a " laser " detector which picks up those type of hand held and "man in a van " type of traps but like I say most of its via databases and thats why its so important to buy a product which is backed by a top notch one..somthing like RA and Origin.

Regards
JUNGLE

Robin · Post by **Robin** » Thu 17 Jun, 2004 11:10

Jungle so as I suspected, Truvelo alerts are thru database & GPS rather than detection.
cheers

D8ny_P · Post by **D8ny_P** » Thu 16 Sep, 2004 11:35

I'm thinking of a "Snooper S3 neo" does anyone have any opinions on them, good/bad/indifferent????

Thanks

Dan

JUNGLE · Post by **JUNGLE** » Thu 16 Sep, 2004 13:22

I nearly bought the S4,( very similar to the S3 ) in the end I plumped for the Orgin B2.

Out of all of the Snooper range I think the new S3 and S4 are the best of the Snooper range. However the one thing that deterred me was that I had read quite a few reports on how bad the Snooper database was. ( I do hear that its improving though ) The database is used to locate most of the camera's out there so its quite an important part of the kit. Snoopers are renouned for good performance in locating "man with a gun " etc but once again I have read several reports of false alarms.

Another point to think about is the Snooper uses a GPS locater which is built into the devide to locate satalites, however if you have one of the new UV windscreens this GPS locator will not work..

The one good thing about these Snoopers ( S3 and S4 ) is that they really are just plug and play and are extremely small, about the size of a packet of cards ) Im sure Auto Express did a review recently ( early part of this year ) on all of the speed detector devices, might be worth a " surf " to try and find it.

Regards
JUNGLE

321bhp · Post by **321bhp** » Sat 02 Oct, 2004 11:38

hi,was on the m11 last night ,they have new road works on there,a 40 mile speed limet and loads of mobile camers,the camera,s have been up about 3 days,between the stansted and m25 juction,well went down there last night and road angel never picked 1 up,and the same on the way back,i must have passed 10 cameras without a warning going off,any ideas ,i have seen the flash going off from other cars,,i cant belive angel never picked them up

JUNGLE · Post by **JUNGLE** » Sun 03 Oct, 2004 09:22

The Road Angel and Origin etc, pick these cameras up from a fixed site database. As these cameras are new for the roadworks along the M11, the database probably hasnt added them.

You could add them onto your Road angel as either a new camera or a personal store so that next time you use the road it will automatically remind you.

If you store them as a New fixed site camera rather than a personal note, the Angel will upload them into the main database ( eventually ) for everyone else to enjoy

Jungle

321bhp · Post by **321bhp** » Sun 03 Oct, 2004 11:48

thanks,suppose i thought ,road angel would get them first,hopefully i shall up-date them this week

DavidO · Post by **DavidO** » Sun 03 Oct, 2004 18:00

This is one of the reasons why I do not rely solely upon a gps database system (road angel etc).

There is no substitute for the additional protection of an active detector. Particularly in Dorset, where the "cash for a dash" crews are crawling all over the place with their mini gatso money trees.

Phil · Post by **Phil** » Sun 03 Oct, 2004 18:15

It can take several weeks for a new site to be added.

zroadster.net

Road Angel

Road Angel

Road Angel

So I bought one

Radar Scout v Road Angel

hi

Road Angel

Road Angel

Snooper S4 neo

Save £50?

Link- Road Angel

I have the Origin B2

Hi Robin

HI Jungle

Snooper S3 neo

Hi

have i a prob with road angel

hi

I use Snooper ---------